Wearable child carriers allow parents to carry children comfortably while maintaining freedom of hand and arm movement. Available carriers carry children in a variety of positions. Depending on the configuration of the child carrier, a parent can position the child in front of the parent, behind the parent or at the side of the parent. Some child carriers can carry children in any of these positions. For example, the ERGObaby baby carrier, allows parents to configure the carrier as a front carrier, a back pack or hip carry position (ERGObaby is a trademark of Ergobaby, Inc. of Pukalani, Hi.).
In general, it is recommended that young children be carried in slings or front carriers. Slings can be uncomfortable for parents as the weight of the child is unevenly distributed across the parent's shoulders. Front carriers hold a child in an upright position with the child's legs hanging down and the base of the child's spine supporting the child's bodyweight. This position may not be optimal for infants. While an adult spine has four curves, a young child's spine only has two curves. A majority of the child's spine will form a C-shape (so-called total kyphosis). Positioning an infant in an upright position may unduly and limit curvature of the spine and puts stress on the infant's sacrum. This can cause the infant's pelvis to tilt backward limiting leg and hip movement, which may impede healthy development of the infant's pelvis.
The current solution to this problem is to either wear the infant in a sling or, for front carriers, to wrap the infant in a blanket or padded sheet and lay the infant at an angle in the child carrier across the parent's torso. The infant will be in a reclined position with both of its feet sticking out of a single leg hole of the child carrier. However, it can be difficult and frustrating to properly position the infant in the child carrier in this manner and some parents find this configuration uncomfortable.